Why is Hannibal Lecter Considered Refined

Hannibal Lecter is considered refined because he appreciates fine music, wine, and intelligent conversation. He spends his time drawing detailed drawings of the Duomo in Florence and listens intently to whoever he’s talking to. When Clarice first meets him, he stands still and composed while another prisoner behaves wildly nearby, highlighting his controlled demeanor.

Hannibal Lecter: The Classiest Serial Killer You'll Ever Meet

How many serial killers would spare your life because they’ve talked to you? How many take an interest in your personal life, know how to draw, or listen to classical music? The Silence of the Lambs, and Anthony Hopkin’s Oscar winning® performance, cemented Hannibal Lecter as one of cinema’s most infamous villains, but his refined taste and oddly supportive mentorship mask the unsettling truth: the most refined people can be hiding a pretty terrible secret.

Hannibal Lector in his temporary cell in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Hannibal Lecter might have better manners than most at a dinner party. In the film, Lecter is calm, articulate, and rarely interrupts. He listens closely, responds thoughtfully, and carries himself with the sort of quiet confidence that usually puts others at ease. In all honesty, if you ignored the occasional cannibalism, you’d assume you were speaking with a cultured psychiatrist who simply appreciates good food, good wine, and stimulating conversation.

With the 35^th anniversary of the film returning to theatres nationwide April 26 & 29, we cooked up some liver with fava beans, poured a nice Chianti, and revisited one of cinema’s most eerily polite villains.

“A Census Taker Once Tried to Test Me. I Ate His Liver with Some Fava Beans and a Nice Chianti.”

In a quote so iconic it ranks #21 on AFI’s 100 Years 100 Movie Quotes, Dr. Lecter reveals his refined palate. Granted, he says this after spending a good minute roasting Clarice Starling. However, you know if you threw a dinner party, he’d bring the best bottle of red wine.

Hannibal Lecter has tastes that we would normally attribute to the most cultivated people. When he is in the temporary prison, we hear him listening to classical music, specifically the Goldberg Variations by Bach. His eyes are closed, and he is listening to the piece with patience and wonder. The typical depiction of a prisoner in cinema is one who shouts and rattles the bars. Hannibal Lecter does neither. During his introduction, we can see him standing still and waiting, while the prisoner to his right is crawling around and hissing at Clarice. His cell also doubles as a gallery. Lecter spends his time drawing detailed images of the Duomo in Florence, covering the walls with careful architectural studies. It’s the sort of hobby you’d expect from an art student studying abroad, not from one of the most notorious serial killers in movie history.

As odd as these traits may seem, they are essential in crafting an unsettling portrait of the cannibal. Lecter is more terrifying because of his calm demeanor and the politeness he shows Clarice. You never know what is behind that mask of sophistication.

“Quid Pro Quo”

One of the most unsettlingly polite things about Hannibal Lecter is how genuinely interested he seems in Clarice’s personal life. After all, he is a retired psychiatrist (What a noble profession!). In The Silence of the Lambs, he patiently listens as she opens up about her childhood trauma and the haunting memory that gives the film its title. He gives her space to tell a story she has never shared before, and in return he offers insight into Buffalo Bill’s identity. Their conversations become a strange form of therapy, an exchange where Clarice reveals pieces of her past, and Lecter guides her towards the killer. His intelligence is unparalleled, and he is incredibly generous by assisting the same people who have him locked up. There is no telling what would have happened if Hannibal Lecter hadn’t been so kind as to share his expertise.

Director Jonathan Demme makes sure to highlight Lecter’s attention to Agent Starling through one of his most polite features: his dedication to eye contact. In a world filled with distractions, Dr. Lecter makes sure his “friends” know he’s listening. The film often places him staring directly into the camera, creating the feeling that he’s looking straight at us. We get to be Clarice for a moment, and isn’t it so nice to have a friend who truly listens?

“Oh, and Senator? Just one more thing… love your suit.”

One thing Hannibal Lecter consistently demonstrates in The Silence of the Lambs is a surprising level of courtesy toward women. Take his interaction with Ruth Martin, the desperate senator searching for her kidnapped daughter. After giving her information that might help locate Buffalo Bill, Lecter leaves her with one final remark: “Oh, and Senator? Just one more thing… love your suit.”

It’s a small moment, but it reveals something thoughtful about him. Here is a mother terrified for her child, hanging on every word that might lead to her daughter, and Lecter takes the time to offer a compliment. After all, who doesn’t appreciate someone noticing a great outfit? Not every serial killer would think to brighten someone’s day like that.

In addition, Lecter has very little patience for people who treat women badly. When Clarice first visits Dr. Lecter, another prisoner says something offensive and disgusting to her. First, Hannibal reassures her by saying he disagrees with Miggs. On Clarice’s next visit, she finds he has made the offender eat his own tongue. How kind! Now he’ll never be awful to women again. You would never know Hannibal Lecter was such a feminist.

The clearest sign of Lecter’s strange sense of loyalty comes at the end of the film. After escaping custody, many worry that Clarice might be his next victim. But Clarice understands something about Lecter that others don’t: he respects her. In their final phone call, he reassures her, saying the world is “more interesting” with her in it. Lecter may be a cannibalistic serial killer, but he also seems to operate by a peculiar code of manners where loyalty matters. For someone with such terrifying habits, he can be very respectful.

Hannibal Lecter might be one of the refined villains in movie history. It’s a shame he’s a cannibal, because he could be a great friend. In The Silence of the Lambs, he listens carefully, gives thoughtful compliments, appreciates culture, rewards good manners, and punishes rudeness.